Hehehehe

I was told I had to stay in the hospital for an entire week. During that week I was on edge, never really eating the food they gave me, always ready to act if one of the nurses tried something funny. If it weren't for the fact they were constantly fluffing my pillows I would have slept with a knife under there. I was petrified that someone would try to kill me, and it had my nerves frazzled.

The sun was rising and I wondered what antics the host club were going to be up to. Only because I was concerned for Haruhi's safety, of course. Then again, the more I thought about it, the less hostile I felt towards the host club. Haruhi was having fun and enjoying herself, and I certainly didn't hate them anymore. They were all endearing in their own way...

But still really annoying.

I turned my attention back to my book. The pages were worn and yellowing, the cover bent at the edges. I had read it numerous times, each time finding something new that I hadn't noticed before. The plot was magical, the writing was enticing. It was my favorite book of all time, and the only one of the ten Haruhi brought me that I read.

The door to my room opened and I jumped, startled, while simultaneously slamming my book shut. My muscles tensed and I glared at the chuckling figures walking into the room.

" Don't scare me like that. " I scowled at Haruhi and dad, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Dad was dressed in his work clothes, and Haruhi in her school uniform. Dad didn't seem to mind that it was a boy's uniform, and it didn't surprise me. He was pretty accepting about most things.

When dad stopped next to my bed, I noticed his eyes tearing up.

" Dad, how many times do I have to tell you I'm fine? " I asked, exasperated. I woke up two days ago, and he's been here pestering me, asking if I'm okay, always crying about how I could have died.

" I didn't know if you were ever going to wake up again, " He sniffled and I cast a glance at Haruhi, surprised to find a sad look on her face too. " The last time we had talked we argued about Akame... I didn't want those words to be the last ones I ever said to you. Thank you. Thank you so much for waking up. "

I felt irritated at the mention of Akame, but it faded when I heard the cracks in his voice. They didn't know if I was ever going to wake up again. My mind ran through the things I would have left behind: a kingdom, Akame, the host club, the old lady at the shop who's always so nice, and most prominently, my family.

" Stop it. " I said, wiping a hand at my eye where a stubborn tear was trying to leak out. " You're going to make me cry. "

He bent down and placed a kiss on my forehead in such a loving, parental way that my mind flashed back to my memories that resurfaced while I was in the coma. My mom in all of her elegance; my dad in all of his glory; Akame, with the purple sash wrapped around her. Why did I have to remember? Why did it have to bring all the pain I felt back?

" Oh, Sachiko, " Haruhi said, drawing me out of my thoughts. " The host club said they were coming by today. "

I groaned, " But they were just here! "

" Can I meet them? " Dad asked, his hands clasped at his chest.

" No." Haruhi and I said at the same time. Dad meeting the host club... That just sounded catastrophic.

" People are actually wanting to come see you. Literally everyone. Especially this one girl... Akemi-San? " Haruhi seemed unsure of the name, but I couldn't help but smile. Only a friend would come visit you in the hospital, right?

Sadly, no one could visit me so long as my hair was fading to silver and my eyes were bright purple.

" Keep them away Haruhi, I trust you to do that. " I said, waving my finger at her.

" Yes, Your— " She started to bend over, like a bow but I threw my pillow at her. She laughed and I crossed my arms over my chest sticking my chin out in an indignant pout.

" You two, " Dad started, but he shook his head, " I've got to get to work now, and Haruhi you have to go to school. I'll come back right after, okay? "

I really didn't want him to leave me all alone in this scary place, but I shook my head yes. " See you then. " He walked away and the door clicked shut behind him.

" Bye. " Haruhi said as she turned to walk away. My hand shot out and grabbed the pale blue sleeve of her uniform. She stopped and looked at my trembling hand, and then at my pale face.

" Haruhi, " I said, " I'm scared. T-they know. What—What if…? " My mind flashed back to Keiji and the knife that was pressed against my neck.

" I'll come back over the lunch break. " She said, putting a hand on my arm. I released her, a bit begrudgingly. I didn't want her to leave either. These doctors could do anything to me and frame it up as something else. I could just see the newspaper titles. Long Lost Princess Dies in a Coma. Sachiko Akahoshi Found Dead at a Hospital in Japan. Akahoshi Princess Dies from Mysterious Illness.

They made my head swim.

" Thank you. " I said and she strode away, leaving me alone in this dreadful place. I let my hands travel over the cover of the book that was in my lap, wanting to bang my head against a wall yet cry at the same time. Also, sleeping. Sleeping sounded nice.

§

When the door opened at around noon, I was just expecting Haruhi.

Not the host club.

It wasn't the entire host club. Kyoya was missing. He probably had something important to do, like trying to frame me for a murder.

I sat up, putting a hand on my head and yawning. I had slept all day, only waking long enough to ask for food and then eat it. The food was horrendous, but I dealt with it because it was all I had to eat. I was looking forward to the welcome home meal dad promised to fix me when I got out of the hospital.

" We're still not used to seeing you with purple eyes and silver hair, Sachiko-san. " The twins said, popping up beside me. One of them grabbed a strand of hair that was particularly silver, with nearly no trace of brown. I glanced at it before looking at the amber-haired twin that was holding it. Was it Hikaru, or Kaoru? I still had no idea, and the fact that Haruhi could discern them was off-putting. They looked exactly the same.

" You shouldn't have to get used to it. " I looked at Haruhi, who was carrying a small box in her hand. " What's that? "

" Food. " She said, pushing past the twins and dumping the box in my lap. She adjusted the hospital bed to sit up, and I opened the box to be welcomed with the warm and delicious smell of one of Haruhi's box lunches.

" Amazing. " I said as I picked up some chopsticks that were inside. " Itadakimasu. "

I dug in and savored the flavors of homemade food. Even the rice tasted better than what they served here.

I glanced back up at the people in my room and a sudden realization hit me. These were my friends, to simply put it, and they were taking time out of their lunch to come visit me. Something like this had never happened before, and I wasn't quite sure how to act. Being nice was the obvious choice, but I was never nice to them. No one had seen me in this state, though. Hair messy, bandages covering nearly all of my pale skin, a hospital gown instead of my normal clothing. I felt vulnerable, honestly.

" What are you guys doing here? " I asked after swallowing my food. I didn't waste time before digging into the next bite. My mother's disapproving scowl flashed through my mind and I flinched. I could almost hear her voice telling me to sit up straight, take smaller bites, and eat slower.

" We came to see our favorite hostess. " One of the twins said, walking over to me and putting an arm around my shoulder, while the other said, " Yeah, what's wrong with that? "

" Everything. " I mumbled through a mouthful of pickled vegetables. They just laughed it off. The twin that had his arm around my shoulder didn't remove it, much to my annoyance. I would have to get Haruhi to tell me how she could tell them apart, because I really wanted to know who had their arm on my shoulder.

" You are our friend, Sachi-chan. Why wouldn't we come visit you when you're hospitalized? " Honey asked. He had a valid point. If they considered me their friend, they would come and visit. No matter how much it got on my nerves or exhausted me.

" No matter how….. how cold and shut off you are to us, we still care. " Tamaki said, acting like he was complementing me and adding a flourish with his hand. I sent a glare his way. Cold? Shut off? Well, he wasn't wrong, but he didn't have to point it out.

" Have you been walking? " Haruhi asked just as I shoveled more food into my mouth. " You have to keep your exercise up or you'll gain weight. "

" I haven't eaten good food in weeks, " I said, not even bothering to swallow before speaking, " Let me be, woman. "

She narrowed her eyes at me. I simply smiled. My legs were stiff, and I needed to stretch, but if I go out there, I could get hurt. I didn't know how many people knew who I was, and I didn't know if they were going to keep it a secret. What if Keiji had accomplices that could hear about this then come and kill me?

" I wanted to bring you cake but Haru-chan said you didn't like it. Is that true? Do you really not like cake? " Honey said, his stuffed bunny clutched to his chest and his honey-colored eyes wide. I took a glance at him then sent a glare towards Haruhi, who simply shrugged. She knew I loved cake.

" Haruhi— " I started, then changed my mind. I couldn't tell him I loved cake, and then make him feel bad for not bringing any. " It's just… It makes my teeth hurt. " That was most definitely a lie. Cake tasted amazing, and I would have eaten it with every meal if I could have.

Honey's face fell.

" Do you have a cavity? " Mori asked from behind him. " Honey gets those all the time. "

I shook my head no, " I'm pretty sure I don't. "

" Which means you're uncertain. " Said the twin with his arm around my shoulder. He looked at the other, and then at the rest of the club. There seemed to be some sort of silent conversation going on that I wasn't let in on. I cast suspicious glances at all of them, and then they suddenly nodded. Well, everyone except for Haruhi nodded, and all of a sudden there was a hand on my lower jaw, opening my mouth. I went to move my hands but they were held down by Honey and Mori, and the other twin had tilted my head back.

I looked to Haruhi for help, but she just had a hand over her mouth, a lame attempt at trying to hide her laughing face. Tamaki came closer, his purple eyes looking in my mouth and at my teeth, searching for what I was assuming was a cavity.

" What are you doing? "I tried to ask, but it didn't come out like that. It came out slurred. " Stop. "

Tamaki leaned awfully closed to me, too close for comfort. I was half tempted to head butt him and then bite whoever was holding me down, but the door to my room opened and a doctor strode in. The doctor who knew my last name wasn't Akahoshi.

He froze when he saw the position I was in, " Sorry, to, uh, interrupt, but I need to see my patient. "

The host club nodded, and thankfully, stopped trying to violate me. They gathered their bags, and started to leave, when Honey suddenly turned around and came over to me. He held his bunny out towards me, his face sincere.

" I find that when I'm sick, Usa-chan helps me feel better. You can borrow him until you get released from the hospital. " He said, smiling at me. I took the bunny from him, slightly shocked. This seemed to be his favorite thing in the universe, and he was letting me use it?

" Thank you. " I smiled at him, " I'll take care of Usa-chan. "

He skipped away, saying, " Bye, Sachi-chan, Usa-chan! "

The rest of the host club smiled before closing the door behind them. Haruhi was still standing in here, her smile gone, instead replaced with a worried look. I could tell she recognized this doctor as the one that knew my true last name. She stood close to me, hovering over the doctor as he asked me questions.

" How are you feeling? " He asked, a clipboard in hand and a pen in the other. He pushed his glasses back up his nose.

" Better. The soreness is still really bad, and my ribs and hip ache. " I said, handing Haruhi the box lunch and leaning back against the raised bed.

" We should be able to take the cast off of your left leg, and the bandages off of your arms as well as your neck. Those places should be healed. " He scribbled something down on the paper, " As for your hip, you will, unfortunately, have issues with that for the rest of your life. "

I felt a frown on my face but I glanced over at Haruhi, who had forced her face into neutrality. I could see the frustration in her eyes, and forced myself to smile like the information didn't bother me.

" Anything else? " I asked, wanting to get him out of the room before Haruhi had to go back to class.

" No, that should be it. I'll get a nurse to remove your cast today. " He pushed the thick-rimmed glasses back up his nose again. I could see myself in the glare on them, looking fragile and beaten up. I looked down at Honey's bear and mumbled a thanks as he strode out of the room.

" Everything will be fine, " Haruhi said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing the box lunch, " I have to get back to school, but I'll come by after it's finished. "

I don't want you to go, " Okay, have fun at school. "

She left, and once again, I was alone.

§

My cast was off; my hair was dripping wet; my legs were aching and tired from having to stand in the shower so long, but I was clean. When my hair dried, it would be soft instead of the greasy mess it was. There's nothing I could do about it being silver for the time being, but I would ask Haruhi to bring my contacts tomorrow. That way, I could erase a little bit of the past that was trying to shine through.

There were just a couple of downsides.

The first one was the fact that all I had to wear was this drab hospital gown. It was thin and had this horrible draft that I couldn't stand. I felt even more exposed in this than I did naked. At least when I was naked people would probably look away. In this hospital gown I was expected to have conversations with nurses and doctors while feeling as if I were wearing nothing.

The second one was a little more serious. When the nurse took the bandages off my arms, I was shocked. Lacing my arms were a series of pale, red and purple scars. I knew it was petty but when I saw them, I felt a lump in my throat. I should have felt lucky to be alive, and I did, but the scars were horrendous. Anyone who saw them would probably freak and then run away from me.

" Don't worry, " The nurse had said when she saw my dejected face, " Scars are just proof that you've went through something terrible and lived. "

I bet she wouldn't say that if she had the scars on her. If she was a princess expected to be the very embodiment of perfection, I doubt she would have thought the same way.

I hugged my knees to my chest as I stared out the window. This chair was hard, and uncomfortable, but just watching the people outside go about their daily business was somewhat calming. It was a sign that everything still had a sense of normalcy, and if I tried hard enough, I could imagine myself in their shoes. I imagined myself going to work for some big tech company, or going to work at a cafe. I imagined myself as a kid, playing on the playground with my friends.

I shifted my feet in the chair and they brushed something cold and metal. I picked up the scissors the nurse accidentally left in here and sat them on the window sill, squinting at the light coming off of them. My only source of protection against intruders that might kill me. I just hoped that no one would notice them.

The door opened and I jumped, my hand flying towards the scissors as my head turned, only to freeze at the sight of a frail old woman with a cane. A cane that a blind person would use to see where they were going.

" Excuse me? " I questioned, my hand leaving the scissors as I put my feet on the ground, " I think you have the wrong room. "

" Oh, do I? Dearie me. " She said, tapping the floor with her walking stick and walking forward. " If you wouldn't mind, " She sounded out of breath, " Could I sit down for a bit? "

" Of course. " I said, getting up to help her. I put one of my hands on her back and lead her to the chair, where she slowly sat down.

" Thank you. " She said as she laid her cane across her lap. " You remind me of a girl I met when I was younger. "

I sat down on the window sill, wary of the scissors. " I do? "

She nodded her head. " It was back when I was losing my sight. The poor dear was admitted by her parents, who insisted that something was wrong with her. At night, she would walk around and visit other patients, listening to their stories and keeping them company. "

" She sounds nice. " I said, trying to sound interested. I wasn't the least bit concerned about some girl who wandered around the hospital at night, talking to people she didn't know.

" She was. When she came to my room, I could just barely see the outline of her. I grumbled and told her to go away, that I didn't want to see her. But she didn't. She simply said, ' What's wrong? ' She seemed so sincere, so caring, that I told her. And you know what she said? "

" What did she say? " I faked curiosity and picked at my nails. Why wasn't someone with this old lady? Why was she telling me this? Of course, elderly people do have a tendency to ramble about stories from their youth.

" She said I didn't need sight to know the beauty of the world. I'll never forget her. Or rather, I'll try not to. " The old lady laughed at her small joke, and I wondered what she was hospitalized for. " Sometimes I wonder what she's doing. She wasn't but 18 when I met her. "

" What is her name? " I asked, patiently waiting for a nurse to realize that this lady was missing, and that she needed to go back to her own room.

" Arisu. " The old lady smiled as she said the name. " You talk in the same manner she did. "

That was my mom's name. Did this lady know my mom? What was my mom doing in Japan when she was 18? Was it even my mom? Was it just someone who happened to share the same name?

" My mom's name was Arisu. " I said, staring down at my hands, " Do you happen to have any idea of what the girl you are talking about looked like? "

" Oh, honey. All I could tell you is that she was tall, and was skinny. "

Just then a nurse came in, looking the slightest bit distressed. When she saw the old lady, she visibly relaxed.

" Mrs. Amori, please don't wander. " The nurse mouthed thank you to me as she helped the lady to her feet.

" What's your name, sweetie? " The old lady asked me.

" Sachiko. " Was all I said, and she smiled as she was dragged out by the nurse.

I stayed seated on the window sill for a very long time, my mind racing. I tried to dismiss the thoughts that were running through my mind, but they wouldn't leave. So many theories came to mind when I thought about my mom, but none seemed to fit. I wished she had told me more about her past, so I wouldn't be so lost now, but it was hopeless to think things like that.

I was startled out of my thoughts as my door opened, and Haruhi walked in. She was by herself this time, and I let out a breath of relief. I did not feel like dealing with the host club.

" Everything okay? " She asked when she saw me sitting on the window sill, scissors clutched tightly in my hand. I dropped them.

" I'm fine. " I said as I stood. Had I really been sitting on that window sill for hours? When had the scissors gotten into my hand?

Haruhi seemed wary, but nodded her head anyway. I didn't want to talk about the kingdom or anything that might have stressed me out, so I initiated a casual conversation, and pushed all the bad thoughts away.

§

It was dark. The metal scissors from earlier were clutched in my hand again, and I was sitting in the chair, staring out the window. I could barely see anything except for the pale streetlights that flickered every now and then. It reminded me of the last thing I saw before I got it, before I fell unconscious. My hip ached in remembrance of that, and I put my head on my knees and squeezed my eyes shut.

Sleep really sounded nice. My eyelids felt heavy and my mind felt slow. But I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried, the image of my mother wandering these halls refused to leave. It kept me up, never releasing its hold on me.

Mom, mom, mom.

Did she stand in this very room, sit in this chair? My lip started to wobble and I bit it, trying to stop it. There was no use crying. My mother was dead and that was that. It shouldn't have hurt that much, or at least that was what I told myself. It wasn't fair. She died five years ago; why did it still hurt?

I heard the clicking of the latch, and my eyes flew open. I slid my legs off the chair and looked over my shoulder, seeing a shadowy figure standing there. My heart raced, skipping beats. The scissors felt slick in my hand, but I walked forward anyway. Slowly at first, as the figure just stood there. If they attacked me, would I be able to defend myself?

They took a step forward.

I stopped. They took another step forward.

It was now or never.

Go for the neck, go for the neck, I repeated it like a mantra in my head as I charged forward, scissors poised and ready to hurt whoever had the audacity to come into my room at midnight. I was only two feet away. I squeezed my eyes shut, not sure if I wanted to see what might happen. The image of the guy I killed that night on the helicopter flashed in my mind and my stomach churned.

I felt a hand grab my wrist, squeezing it to the point of pain. The scissors fell out of my hand and I was shoved backward, all the way back until I hit a wall. I raised my left hand, knowing it was weak but desperate to do something. But their other hand caught it and pinned me to the wall.

" Open your eyes, Sachiko. "

I didn't want to. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to live. I just wanted to be left alone.

Wait.

I opened my eyes and felt like screaming.

" What the hell are you doing here? " My voice was breathless and weak, and my heart was still hammering in my chest.

" What are you doing charging at me with scissors? " Kyoya countered, releasing my hands. They fell to my side and I bent down to pick the scissors up.

" Protection. " I mumbled, as I walked back over to the window sill and sat them there.

A cloud must've moved away from the moon because now I could obviously tell it was Kyoya. He wasn't wearing his school uniform, but his glasses were the same and his hair was the same. Moonlight glinted off of his glasses and I plopped down in the chair. I adopted the same pose I had earlier.

I didn't say anything. It was peculiar that he was here after visiting hours, and that he came by himself, but I didn't feel like talking. He shouldn't have wasted his energy by coming here.

" I know. " He said, moving in front of me and blocking my view out the window. He sat on the window sill, too close to me for comfort.

" How vague. Could you clarify? " I said, even though I was pretty sure I knew what he meant.

" At first, I thought it was the people who you claimed killed your parents. That they were in a gang and were coming after you because of your parents debts. "

Oh, right. The lie I had told. I didn't say anything. I just stared at the wall beside him, a single, solitary thought running through my mind.

" But now I know that's not true. " He leaned in closer to me. I glanced at him and found that analytical look on his face again, as if he were scrutinizing me.

" Oh, really? I had no idea. " I said.

" What were you crying about? " He asked as he leaned back. He actually sounded concerned for a change, and that was shocking. I saw his hand move out of the corner of my eye, but it stopped, and he put it back in his lap.

" Stuff. "

" How vague. Could you clarify? " He threw my earlier words at me and I buried my face in my knees.

" I don't want to. " I said, though the words were muffled against my legs. " What did you come here for, Kyoya? "

I wanted him gone. I wanted to be by myself.

" I came here to tell you that you're part of the host club, and are no longer considered a threat. Although, I don't like the idea of us putting ourselves in danger for you, Tamaki seems fine with it. " Kyoya's hands were folded in his lap. I looked back up at him, and couldn't help but think that I liked the way the moonlight highlighted his hair.

" Why didn't you just tell me that earlier? During visitor hours. "

" I figured you wouldn't want the host club to know. " His voice had taken on a softer tone, one I hadn't heard before. It caught me by surprise. Was Kyoya trying to be nice?

" I don't. But what isn't I don't want them to know? " I said, trying to get him to say it as I dropped my feet to the floor. If he knew that I was a princess, I had to make him swear to keep it a secret. It wasn't much of a secret anymore considering someone has tried to kill me twice, but I still wanted as little people as possible to know about it.

" That Fujioka isn't your last name. That five years ago, your mother was killed via poison, and your dad is missing. That the scar on your neck is from a knife held by a man that tried to kill you. "

" You could be a little less detailed. " I said, my voice shaking. How had he found this out? I knew he had the resources to do so, but it was still shocking to hear how much he knew.

" You don't want people to know that you are Sachiko Akahoshi, queen of Chishima island. "

I couldn't help it.

A lump formed in my throat and my eyes stung. He called me queen. Queen. That wasn't me. That was my mother. She was the queen. She deserved to be sitting on that throne, the crown on her head, and loyal subjects at her feet. My dad should have been next to her, watching with a smile on his face.

I didn't deserve that. Even Akame thought so, since she hadn't been by to see me after I had been nearly killed twice. Everyone thought I was just some useless princess that couldn't save people; that couldn't even get her own kingdom back; that couldn't even avenge her own parents.

" If I'm a queen, why hasn't my guard come for me? " I said, my voice thick with tears," Why am I being left here to do nothing but goof around in some school? "

I buried my face in my hands.

Kyoya wrapped his arms around me, and let me cry into his shoulder.

" You'll get your kingdom back one day, Sachiko. I know you will. "

I cried while chastising myself at the same time. It wasn't because I was leaning on someone for a change, letting someone help me. It wasn't because I was letting Kyoya, of all people, comfort me. It wasn't because I was letting him see me in such a degrading state.

It was because I believed him.

Heyooo I'm not dead.

That hospital is driving Sachiko crazy. She needs to get out of there and soon.

Sorry for the late update by the way. I re-injured my wrist, and now I can only type about 200 or so words at a time. It's so so so frustrating. Especially when I knew what was going to happen in this chapter and I wanted you all to read it.

Anyway, thanks for being patient. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm going to go eat some food oR WRITE SOME MORE BECAUSE I JUST GOT AN IDEA. BYEEEEE